As a young man growing up in Southwest Ohio, Marc Messerschmitt was searching to find himself.
So when he came across an opportunity to join the Army, see the world and develop into a more well-rounded person, he enlisted.
“I was active duty in the U.S. Army for 22 years, and retired as a Major in 2012,” Messerschmitt says. “I spent most of my career with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 75th Ranger Regiment. Throughout my time, I had six combat deployments to Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq. I graduated Ranger school, Sniper school and the Pathfinder school while becoming a Master-Rated Parachutist with a combat jump star. And I proudly earned a Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart.”
Looking back at his time in the military, Marc is glad his younger self made the decision to enlist.
Today, Marc serves as a packaging line lead at Molson Coors' Trenton brewery and as president of the Molson Coors Veterans Group's Trenton chapter.
He joined the Molson Coors team nearly six years ago, and he has leveraged his military experiences to influence his work in the brewery.
“When you join the U.S. military, you are committing to a cause that is larger than you as an individual,” he says. “You are becoming a member of a team where the success, or failure, largely depends on everyone doing their job and doing it well. If one fails – you all fail."
Molson Coors, he says, is no different. "We are one big team all working in unison. I was proud to serve my country, and now I am proud to manufacture the best beers in the world.”
Messerschmitt has a history working with Veteran nonprofit organizations in the Trenton area, and says taking on a leadership role within the Molson Coors Veterans Group was another opportunity for him to give back.
“I reflect on my military experience when thinking about the importance of our employee resource groups,” he says. “To be successful in the military, leaders need to know their unit and how to employ it in accordance with its capabilities. That is essentially what ERGs do for Molson Coors. The employee resources groups tie it all together by identifying and leveraging our talent and creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce that ultimately delivers our great products to our consumers.”
In Trenton, the Molson Coors Veterans Group supports up to five major veteran events each year, reaching out to thousands of veterans annually. The group has a long-standing and strong relationship with the U.S. Army National Guard unit across the street from the brewery.
“Marc brings unparalleled passion to celebrating the brewery’s veterans and connecting Molson Coors to the broader community,” says Todd Dombrowski, vice president of revenue management for Molson Coors and national lead of the Molson Coors Veterans Group. “Over the few years that I’ve known Marc, he has built great relationships with community organizations, such as the VFW, Wreaths Across America and Best Ranger competition. He's helped connect our brands in relevant ways to veteran consumers."
Messerschmitt's passion, Dombrowski says, "shows not only in how much time he commits to the veterans group, but also in how he tirelessly supports veterans in his community. He takes accountability and really lives our values."